“There has been talk of a strained relationship…” – Chris Wilder could face Middlesbrough, Bournemouth decision: The verdict | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict’ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Middlesbrough boss Chris Wilder is likely to be one of the names considered for the vacant manager job at Bournemouth, according to the Daily Mail.

The Teessiders have endured a difficult start to the Championship season and it seems things could be set to get worse with Wilder now linked with a move to the Vitality Stadium.

But would it be best for him to stay put at the Riverside or jump ship to join the Cherries?

We put the question to our FLW writers…

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Charlie Gregory

If I was Chris Wilder, it would be a really tough one to call in all honesty and there are pros and cons to both staying and leaving Middlesbrough right now.

So far at Boro, it hasn’t worked as well as the boss would have liked. He’s splashed the cash and with results hard to come by, that means he will be under increasing pressure going forward if he can’t bag wins. There is a chance here to leave the Championship side – where it clearly isn’t working yet – and go to the top flight and manage Bournemouth.

If he could keep the Cherries in the top flight too, then it would be a fantastic achievement and would be something else for the CV. To leave Boro now though after the window they have just had and in such a position would not please any Middlesbrough fan. It could also backfire tremendously if Bournemouth are relegated anyway down to just the strength of their squad.

If I was Wilder then, like he did with Sheffield United, I would perhaps stick with Boro and try and build something there like he did with the Blades. If the relationship between himself and their board though is untenable, then you’d have to jump ship.

Ned Holmes

Something doesn’t seem right at Boro right now. There has been talk of a strained relationship between Chris Wilder and Steve Gibson for a little while now and you do wonder whether that could be the issue.

Wilder made his frustration about the club’s summer transfer business very clear early on in the season despite the Teessiders spending plenty of money on improvements to the squad.

In my eyes, there is a higher ceiling at Boro but if there is truth to the suggestions about his strained relationship with Gibson then maybe a move to Bournemouth would be the right call.

Given the tough start to the season that the Riverside outfit have endured, a move to the Premier League may be particularly appealing to Wilder right now.

Toby Wilding

You get the feeling that a move to Bournemouth ought to be hard to turn down for Wilder, should the opportunity arise.

As a manager, just like a player, you never know when another chance to compete in a division as big as the Premier League is going to come along, so if you are offered the chance to do so, you surely have to take it.

Indeed, given Middlesbrough have been so below par this season, you do question whether there would be further interest in Wilder if that was to continue, meaning he could have to take this chance with Bournemouth to get back to the Premier League if it does come along.

It is also worth noting that given the frustrations Wilder appears to have about his backing, or perhaps lack of, in the transfer window, means he may feel he will not be given the best chance to get back to the top-flight with Middlesbrough, and therefore feel he has the right to move on to another club, should the chance to do so come along.